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So I recently had a queenless hive that started laying drone brood. I moved the hive 3ft and put a new hive in its place with a new queen. I left all alone for 10 days and when I inspected I saw plenty of bees,the new queen and some eggs,grubs and sealed brood. All well so I left for two weeks...

I'm trying to work out if I have a drone laying queen or laying worker. I understand that a drone laying queen will only lay one egg in a cell,but a laying worker multiple eggs. I haven't seen eggs ,but I have seen only one grub in each cell. Does that confirm it's a drone laying queen? Thanks...

I have a queenless colony ,but fortunately a friend is supplying a mated queen. I'll introduce her in a queen cage with fondant sealing the ends. My question is their is some worker brood in the hive which I assume may convince the bees that they have a queen. Should I remove this brood before...

Had to go away for a couple of weeks, returning last night. This morning one of my colonies swarmed. Managed to capture them and put in a spare hive. Within the hour they swarmed again. Managed to capture them again and put into the spare hive. This time I put a frame of brood in the hive and...

Collected a nucleus yesterday and now all settled in main hive. Quite cool here today, few bees out and about ,but they seem to be struggling to find the entrance to return to the hive. One or two at the back of the hive acting as if they are trying to find the entrance. Have hive numerous...

I'am picking up a nuc on Friday, all in place to move them into my full hive,but a while since I've hived a nuc, should I leave them shut in for 24 hrs or just leave a reduced entrance. Thanks.

So I would like to try a colony of black bees, but the only nucs I can find come on dadant frames and all my equipment is langstroth. Dadant frames are about the same size re the top bar, but 2" deeper. So how to make the transfer. I've read one suggestion which is to put the queen somewhere...

Had a queenless colony so introduced a new, mated queen in a cage into the brood box. Gave her 48 hrs ,then broke the tab so candy could be eaten and she could exit. Left alone for 12 days and checked today. Cage empty ,but no brood in brood box. Bees very calm so checked the only super and wall...

Inspected one of my hives today and never seen so many bees. Carried out a full inspection of the brood box checking for queen cell,none found,but nearly every frame is full of brood. Have 3 supers on, 2 nearly full. My question is should I carry out an artificial swarm to release the pressure...

A friend of mine has a friend who is renovating his house and in a bedroom he has removed the plasterboard and in the soft insulation is an active bumble bee nest. He has asked me if I could remove it, otherwise I suspect he will treat them with chemicals. I've never had experience of a bumble...

I currently have 3 hives,2 at home,an isolated farmhouse in Normandie and 2 on the flat roof of a old flour mill in the centre of town. The owner of the Mill also has 2 hives,I have recently introduced her to beekeeping. So today,warm and sunny,I checked my bees at home,all was fine and bees...

After a few sightings last year this year has seen a massive increase in numbers. We have put "muzzles" on our hives and placed numerous traps. A friend's son has set up a business destroying the nests and has treated 43 in the last 3 months in and around Fecamp. Another friend who has bees and...

I've managed to create a new colony in a 5 frame poly nuc,checked it yesterday and good brood pattern and about 3 seams of bees. Mu question is do I over winter in the poly nuc or move the bees into an empty hive. If I move them into the hive I have an almost full super I can put on which will...

Due to illness my bees have been neglected. An inspection yesterday revealed a queenless colony,with no worker brood,but lots of drone brood. As I understand it if I introduce a queen to this colony she will probably be killed,so is the colony lost. Would they make a new queen if I could...

I need to move a frame with brood and eggs to another hive about 30 mins away. I guess to do it early afternoon when it is warmest and to wrap the frame in a sort,thick towel. Does this sound right.

I have just purchased a poly nuc and plan to give it a cost of masonry paint. I have a tin of white sandtex and would like to add a bit of coloured paint to the white. Anybody know what paint I could use. Thanks.

Have been given a colony of bees in a Dadant hive. Hive is in very poor condition and the floor is fixed to the brood box. I want to move the bees into one of my empty hives, but as I use Langstroth the frames won't fit. Any ideas on the best way to do this,thanks.

Is it the increase in hive temperature,after the winter recess, that stimulates the queen to begin laying eggs or the amount of food coming into the hive. I always thought that the hive temperature was maintained at a constant level,but read somewhere that the increase in hive temperature...

In the summer I collected a small swarm and housed them in a Dadant hive in a friends garden. She had previously had bees which had disappeared and as I had plenty it seemed a good idea.I checked the bees last week and they have filled one side of the brood box with a 50/50 split of brood and...

I have 2 colonies of bees sited on the flat roof in the centre of town in Normandie. I extracted honey last week, but no idea of the source. It had started to crystallize on the frame and when extracted it is almost black in colour and very sweet. Any ideas,thanks.